Trapped!
by Solarius Scorch
Summary: An unfortunate event leads to Kagami and Misao getting closer than they would like to. A challenge fic - see author's notes for details.


This story was created for the first fan fiction challenge, organised on Zokusho's Mostly Lucky Star Forum here on this very website (forum dot fanfiction dot net/topic/68315/32206597/1/). The subject was simple: _Kagami and Misao get stuck in a closet_. Other fics belonging to this challenge can be found at fanfiction(dot).net/community/Fan_fiction_challenges/76041/ .

This fic takes place in a generic Konami universe, post-highschool. Please enjoy!

(Approved by Shadowfox026, my usual and dependable beta.)

* * *

Kagami was getting impatient. The company promised to deliver the parcel before one o'clock but it was already past two and there was no sign of them whatsoever, even though she had told them specifically to be on time. _How annoying_, she thought, _you can't trust anyone nowadays_.

Hiiragi Kagami wasn't particularly impatient, but she had a tight schedule tonight: it was her and Konata's first anniversary, and the item in question was… well not a present per se, but a surprise. Konata had accumulated lots of personal things since they moved in last year, and she was having trouble organising it. Since Kagami did not tolerate loose CDs and action figures laying around in their small apartment, Konata was keeping everything in her half of their closet and it was increasingly difficult for her to fit everything in since that was where she kept her clothes too. Therefore Kagami decided to buy an Ik*a wardrobe for Konata to give her some more storage space and also to mark their anniversary in a symbolic-but-practical way. Konata was supposed to be back from work around six and Kagami wanted to get the thing assembled beforehand, so that they could go celebrate as soon as possible.

Kagami was close to calling Ik*a and give them proper scolding, but suddenly she heard a truck coming to a halt somewhere on the street below. Looking out of the window she could see the roof of a big white van parked right in front of the entrance. A few seconds later, a phone rang.

Kagami picked up, but before she could say "hello", she heard an agitated, strangely familiar female voice:

"Good afternoon, sorry about being late but we had some trouble there, we're very sorry sir! The parcel is here safe and sound, we're ready to move it in! Please forgive us for our incompetence sir, it won't happen again!"

"Okay, I'm coming down", responded Kagami. She was slightly taken aback with that overenthusiastic greetings, but a moment later she understood why the voice had seemed familiar. She hurried downstairs to confirm her realisation.

Her guess proved to be right when she saw none other than Kusakabe Misao fully dressed in the Ik*a uniform, complete with a peaked cap and even a pair working gloves.

"Hello ma'am, I'm really sorry we're…" Misao started with a serious expression, but once she saw who had opened the door for her, she almost jumped with joy. "Hiiragi!" she exclaimed, grabbing Kagami's hand and shaking vigorously. "How are you doing? I haven't seen you in ages! So that's where you live now, huh?"

Even though Kagami hadn't expected Misao of all people to arrive with their new wardrobe, she certainly didn't mind seeing her old friend. "Yeah, this is where I live. And you're working deliveries now I see?"

"Just for a few months, I need to earn some additional cash for the winter break. And I'm going nuts there", Misao complained.

"Too much work? Is that why you're an hour late?"

"Hey, that's not my fault! Today's lunch was a disaster, I think the fish was rotten or something. We're kinda short on staff today, teehee…"

"That's… terrible." Kagami was afraid to ask why Misao was alive and well. "Then, if you don't mind, could you get on the job already? We'll talk upstairs."

"Oh, sure, sure!" Misao ran to the van, opened the back door and with visible effort pulled out a large package that was probably Konata's new wardrobe. "Oi Hiiragi, would you mind giving me a hand? This thing is kinda heavy!"

Kagami, who was looking at her incredulously, blinked. "Don't tell me there's nobody with you here? Oh wait… the fish."

"Right…"

The former classmates joined forces and managed to lift the package together, then carry it towards the staircase without any accidents. Fortunately Kagami's house had an elevator, but fitting the big box in took them a few minutes. By the time they finally reached Kagami's flat, Misao had already lost her energy.

"Oh crap", she wailed, "I had too much fun yesterday and now I'm left alone with all that stuff, and on a Sunday too. I'm so glad this is my last address…"

"Uh… Good job, Kusakabe. Just help me get it inside and I'll be fine from there."

However once they passed the door and propped the box against the wall, they suddenly heard a menacing rumble and after a few seconds everything started shaking violently: the floor was vibrating, the hanging lamp was swinging, and the kitchen utensils were clattering. Misao reacted like a true Japanese by jumping into the open door straight away, shouting "An earthquake! An earthquake! Quickly Hiiragi, take cover!"

Kagami didn't move an inch, and the terrible tremors ceased after a few seconds. "It wasn't an earthquake Kusakabe", she sighed, "it was a train. It happens a few times every day, how else do you think we could afford such an apartment? You just get used to it, sort of."

"Oh", answered Misao with a grin. "That's pretty cool."

Two minutes later, the package was finally resting on the living room floor and Misao was on a sofa catching her breath. Kagami went to the kitchen to prepare some tea for the unexpected guest. When she returned, Misao was just staring at the TV with an exhausted expression, but accepted her cup with a satisfied sigh. Once she was out of energy, her hangover became rather obvious.

Since Misao probably wouldn't appreciate any attempts at conversation, Kagami decided to open the package and get to work as soon as possible. She started unpacking various wooden pieces, metal elements, boxes filled with screws or wing-nuts, tools and documentation. She divided everything into several neat stacks, trying not to make too much noise. Twenty minutes later she was browsing the assembly manual, wondering how difficult it would be.

"So, we're starting with the A1frame. Then we take the A2 board and fix it in place with four O-21 metal screws…"

Misao quickly fell asleep on the sofa as Kagami was going through the laborious process of assembling the wardrobe. It wasn't as quick as she hoped, but it turned out fairly easy; the piece of furniture was slowly taking shape that Kagami had seen on the website. About an hour later the wardrobe was complete and the only thing left to do was to place a few shelves in it, but this would be Konata's job since Kagami wasn't sure how her girlfriend wanted them to be positioned.

Kagami was in the process of admiring her work when she heard the familiar rumble. Unimpressed by this, she waited until the train passed and everything went back to normal. Though when she looked back at the wardrobe, she opened her eyes in terror: the thing was shaking so violently that it literally _collapsed_ on itself, separating into its basic elements in seconds. Kagami's jaw dropped.

"Eh?" said Misao from the floor beside the sofa where she had found herself after the noise started. "What happened? Was it another train?"

"Y… yes", Kagami answered weakly, "it was a train. I… I guess I did something wrong…"

Misao stood up, took in all the mess and Kagami's dumbstruck expression and guffawed. "Hiiragi, I heard you weren't too good with household chores. Don't worry, I'm not either!"

Kagami did her best not to shoot Misao a murderous look. "It was… just a test. I'll do it again."

"Uh, do you need a hand? I've seen it assembled in the store, once."

"No thanks, I'll be fine." Kagami wasn't sure if it was such a good idea to let Misao near any complicated task; besides, Misao's comment had stimulated her ambition. Fortunately most of the small parts were still joined together, so she only needed to put together several large segments to re-assemble the entire thing. As Kagami worked, Misao divided her attention between cheering her on and watching basketball; she seemed miraculously recovered already, but an occasional twitch was clearly indicating some minor headache.

Half an hour later the wardrobe was finished. Kagami double-checked every critical joint, made sure that no parts were left, and finally gave the piece of furniture a tentative push, then a solid punch. The wardrobe seemed firm, hard and reassuring.

"Well, that should do it", Kagami declared. "It's about time, it's getting late."

"Oh, sorry I'm still here!" exclaimed Misao, getting to her feet. "I should be going now. Thanks for the tea and the sofa, they were awesome."

"No problem. And you don't have to be in such a hurry, I'd like to rest a bit myself. Want another cup?"

"Why not. Or do you have anything cold? I need some refreshment!"

"Is orange juice okay?"

"Sure it is, Hiiragi!"

The next train caught Kagami in the kitchen where she was pouring juice for Misao and for herself. She grabbed both vibrating glasses so that they wouldn't leave the surface they were on (this had happened before) and patiently waited for the small earthquake to stop. When it was almost finished, she heard another noise from the living room: the unmistakeable sound of wooden planks falling on top of each other, scattering screws everywhere.

"WHAT WAS THAT!" she bellowed from the door, looking at what was left of the wardrobe and dumbfounded Misao.

Misao instinctively jumped back. "I didn't do anything, I swear! It just… just kinda fell apart!"

Kagami approached the place where the wardrobe was a minute ago and regarded it with a grim expression. "How could this happen? I did everything by the book, and checked it thoroughly. It was fine!" She glanced at Misao angrily. "This… This isn't normal!"

Misao put on her "level-headed practical girl" expression and approached the remains too. "Well, I don't know what you did, but I don't think it was coincidence. You know what? Get me a beer and I'll give it a try, I have nothing else to do anyway. And they said in store I was good with this!"

Kagami capitulated. "I have one in the fridge. I just want this damn wardrobe to be ready before evening."

For the next forty-five minutes Kagami was staring at Misao in her Ik*a uniform, sipping Yeb*su straight from the can and putting every small part into place. Misao wasn't very fast with her work, but she seemed to know what she was doing and Kagami relaxed a little. Her irritation has changed to embarrassment now; she had made a fool of herself in front of a person which she hadn't exactly admired for her intellectual abilities.

"There, it's ready!", announced Misao eventually, obviously pleased with herself. The wardrobe seemed ready indeed, even after Kagami's inspection.

"Thanks", said Kagami, "I hope it stays like this."

"Sure it will! I am a professional!"

Since Misao hadn't finished her beer yet, they sat down and engaged in some chitchat about their personal lives. Kagami managed to forget about her embarrassment after a while, greatly helped by the fact that Misao wasn't shy about telling stories of her own small failures, many of them amusing. Then, just as Misao was getting ready to leave and Kagami to take a shower, another train came…

…and they found themselves staring at the remains of the wardrobe that Misao had just finished assembling. Bigger and smaller parts were strewn across the floor, and the main body turned into a pitiful heap of wood and metal.

"It's… it's impossible!" Kagami shouted, bending over the pile of junk that was supposed to be their new piece of furniture. "This bloody wardrobe is possessed!"

"Do… do you think so, Hiiragi?", asked Misao very seriously. "I don't believe in ghosts… Although I can't see what else it could be. Maybe you should leave it alone!" She actually looked rather anxious.

"No way!" barked Kagami. "There must be a rational explanation. And I'll get to it!"

"Um, how? There was nothing wrong with this thing, you saw it!"

"Yeah, but there must be something that we've missed. I'm going to put it together one more time and check how it looks like from the inside. Will you give me a hand?"

"Sure thing, Hiiragi." Everybody knew that Misao was a dependable person, and right now she also looked intrigued.

They started again from scratch. Kagami discovered she was getting really good with this; _I guess practice really makes perfect_, she thought to herself. Thanks to their joined efforts, the wardrobe was ready within half an hour.

"You know Hiiragi", said Misao with a thoughtful expression while staring at their finished work, "I think it always happened when that train was passing by."

"Yeah, I noticed… Has anything like this happened before with this kind of furniture?"

"Nah, never… But we don't have any trains near the store."

Kagami sighed. "I don't know what could be wrong… Vibrations? Resonance? It doesn't make sense… Yet again, nothing makes sense here."

Misao was checking the inside of the "possessed" object. "Then I guess we're gonna have to wait for a train!"

"Okay… I'll get inside." Kagami felt rather stupid saying that, but she felt it couldn't be helped; _no infernal wardrobe from Ik*a would get the better of me_, she decided. She carefully stepped inside and started looking around, familiarising herself with the closed environment.

"Oi, me too, me too!", exclaimed Misao excitingly, and without warning squeezed between Kagami and the wooden wall.

"Ow, you!" Kagami had to turn herself towards Misao, or else she'd be squashed. She felt an elbow painfully hitting her side, and her own knee found itself between Misao's thighs. "What are you doing? That's… that's… there's not enough room!"

"Easy, I just wanted to check something. I'll close the door."

"What? Why!"

"Because they've been closed every time…"

Everything went dark. The only things that Kagami was aware of was the warm and curvy body clad in a rough uniform that was pressing into her own, the hard wooden plank she was being pushed into, and the sounds of their breathing; she could also smell some sweat and beer among the normal scents of fresh furniture. She immediately felt a blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Uh… Are you happy now? Can one of us get out of here?"

"Just a sec, I can't see a thing. Wait, I have a flashlight on me…"

Kagami felt Misao thrashing around, trying to reach into her pocket. "Ow, be careful Kusakabe!" she yelled when Misao accidentally stepped on her foot, "get out of here and then look for your damn flashlight…"

Misao stopped moving around; actually, she stopped moving at all. "Hiiragi", she said after a short moment with a frightening seriousness in her voice, "I can't get out of here…"

"What do you mean you can't…?"

"Well… I guess you didn't do the hinges correctly… When you do something too many times, routine kicks in and mistakes happen."

"I didn't… Hey! You're joking, right?"

Kagami felt Misao shrug; the girl seemed to be shrugging with her entire bosom. "Check for yourself!"

Misao was right: the door somehow got stuck, and they couldn't open it enough to put a finger through.

"We have a problem", stated Kagami. She felt a wave of panic raising inside her throat, which was nonetheless balanced by irritation and embarrassment.

Misao seemingly didn't have such countermeasures. "Waaaah! I hate small rooms! We're gonna die here!" She began thrashing around in terror, pounding on the door with her fists and feet.

"Shut up!" yelled Kagami, who received a few accidental punches. She wanted to hit the other girl in the head like Kuroi-sensei used to with Konata, but due to lack of space she settled with putting her arm around Misao above her waist and squeezing. "We're not gonna die! We just need to wait for the next train, that's all. Somehow I'm sure it'll just fall apart by itself."

Misao calmed down instantly. "Okay, we just need to wait for the train. Roger." She was breathing heavily though. "Umm, Hiiragi?"

"What?"

"Do you think you can reach my flashlight? It's in my pocket."

"Which pocket?"

"The big one!"

Kagami realised that Misao must have meant one in the front of her uniform, positioned just between her shapely breasts. "Oh… Okay. I'll try."

Moving just her hand wasn't difficult at all, but her elbow was squeezed between herself and the wicked door right now, so it was difficult to move her entire arm. She raised her forearm and almost grabbed Misao's face, and then started lowering herself slowly. She felt her fingertips brushing the other girl's cheek, then collarbone, then the rough texture of her uniform, and finally they reached the pocket in question. Kagami was now squatting uncomfortably, so reaching inside was a challenge; the only thing she could do was to point her palm downwards and reach as far into the pocket as she could.

Misao giggled.

"What's so funny?" snapped Kagami; her fingers were stuck between Misao's assets.

"That's embarrassing, eh?"

"Shut up! I almost have it…"

With a bit of dexterity, Kagami managed to get the flashlight from the bottom of the pocket. Slowly, she started taking it out.

"Now don't move, Kusakabe… I'm only holding it with two fingers now."

Kagami almost dropped the flashlight, but she managed to secure it against Misao's neck. "I… I can't do it… It's too slippery!"

"Put it in my mouth."

"What? Oh, okay…"

With last bit of strength, Kagami managed to lift the object up to Misao's lips, and immediately felt sharp teeth closing on her hand.

"Ow! Kusakabe! Don't bite me!"

"I'f nof fikhin' oo", responded Misao indignantly.

"What?" Kagami managed to remove her fingers from the miniature bear trap that was Misao's jaws.

"I faid I hafn't fitten you", explained Misao a bit more clearly.

"Yeah, I'm fine… somehow. Hold still, I'll turn it on…"

Kagami's fingertip traced a line across Misao's jaw line and finally found the flashlight, and the switch. A bright light shone directly into her eyes, making her squeeze her eyelids tightly.

"Fell? Feein' anyffin'?"

"I can't see a thing Kusakabe, it's too bright… Try to direct this light somewhere else, would you?"

When Misao started turning around slowly, Kagami felt something pulling on the bottom on her t-shirt: some button or perhaps a small screwdriver caught onto the fabric when Kagami had lowered herself. "Stop, Kusakabe!" she exclaimed, catching Misao off guard and causing a series of chaotic moves on both sides. Kagami was blinded by the flashlight again and she instinctively receded further below, and they both heard the sound of ripping somewhere down there. Kagami groaned, feeling her stomach exposed to the warm, slightly damp air. _Just great. I'm glad it was an old one._

"'Ou ofay ffere, Hiiragi?"

"Yeah, just some… damage. Don't worry about that…"

"Wow, are 'ou fick? 'Ou haf a fefer?"

"What? A… a fever?" Kagami realised how red her face must be, and immediately went even more red. "I, I'm fine! Just get on with this already!"

"Wif wat?"

Kagami remembered they didn't have any plan. "Well, let's try to lift that door a little… Could you give me some light over here?"

Misao leaned over Kagami, practically pushing her breasts into her friend's face. Kagami did her best to ignore that, but couldn't do anything about the fact that it was… rather absorbing.

"If thif okay, Fiiragi?"

"Yeah… Now hold it like that, please."

Kagami started pushing at the hinges from the bottom, trying to move them into their rightful place. Her struggle was for nothing though: the limited space prevented her from gaining enough leverage.

"Uh, Kusakabe… Can you move your foot over here? I need you to push on the door at the very bottom…"

"Fure…" Misao's position was getting less and less comfortable, but her well-trained body could handle that for now. However, when Kagami started pushing at the door again, she inadvertently pressed her shoulder into Misao's solar plexus. Misao tried to lean on Kagami's other shoulder, which has caused Kagami to lose her balance completely.

Inside the wardrobe echoed: two agitated screams, a thud of something hard hitting a wooden board, and finally a whole cacophony of two adult women collapsing on one another. Everything went pitch black.

"Oi, Hiiragi! That's my butt!"

"You're sitting on my hair! And what happened to the light?"

"It's somewhere under you. Ow! Sorry, Hiiragi."

"Stop grabbing me! And get off me!"

"I haven't grabbed you! You're everywhere!"

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

"What? N…no! You're okay!"

"Aw… good. Sorry. Let me go…"

"Is this better?"

"A little…"

"You sure you're not sick? You're trembling, Hiiragi!"

"Shut up, I'm not!"

Suddenly the wardrobe was filled with blinding light, immediately ending their quarrel. When Kagami regained her sight, she saw that the door was finally open and the person standing on the other side was none other than Konata. Her petite girlfriend was looking at them blankly, taking in every detail: Kagami and Misao squeezed tightly at the bottom of the wardrobe, Misao in her working uniform, Kagami's torn t-shirt, and their heavy, exhausted breathing.

Konata cleared her throat meaningfully. "What are you doing here Misakichi, and what have you done to my Kagamin?"

Kagami gulped. "I… it's not what you think, Konata!"

"Yeah, leave us alone!", added Misao, "we're just waiting for a train here."


End file.
